Bottle crate



March 17, 1936. w. J. QUlRK El AL BOTTLE CRATE Filed Oct. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5 i M z Z/Y/J: H 4 v. o 3 2 U Q G 5 e o I 2 g I 2E. w '0 o o Z1 //vv/v TORS ATTO NE) .Mar'ch 17, 1936.

w. J. QUIRK ET AL 2,034,205

BOTTLE CRATE Filed Oct. 15, 1934 I IG. 6

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO s CHI Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CRATE Application October 15, 1934, Serial No. 748,334

8 Claims.

The invention relates to crates or cases for bottles.

An object of the invention is to providea milk bottle crate having durable and inexpensive means for cushioning the bottles so as to minimize noise during handling and to prevent damage to the polished outer surfaces of the bottles.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle crate embodying the invention, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the crate, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the crate, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation of a modified form of crate;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top view of the crate of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a cell-forming frame for the crate of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a detail sectional view of the crate of Fig.

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the cushioning elements for the crate of Fig. 4.

In these drawings, I5 and I6 designate the usual side and end walls of a rectangular bottle crate, the walls having a riveted connection at the corners of the crate with outer and inner sheet metal angle plates I1 and I8. Each of the walls I 5 and I6 is here shown to be formed by spaced parallel boards or slats. The lower edges of the lowermost boards are embraced by sheet metal channels I9 and riveted thereto, and the upper edges of the uppermost end wall boards are embraced by similar channels 2I, the latter boards being provided with the usual hand holes 22.

The lowermost sections of the end walls l6 are connected by a number of spaced parallel metal bottom rods or bars 23 and 24, the ends of which are riveted in place. The bars 23 are formed with flanges 25 near their ends to bear against the inner faces of the channels 20. The rods 23 and 24 are supported at intervals by their passage through spaced parallel longitudinally ribbed cross bars 26 having flanged ends 21 riveted to the bottom sections of the side walls I 5. The rods 24 carry a series of cushioning tubes or sleeves 28, preferably of rubber, for supporting bottles 23 thereon, the sleeves being confined against longitudinal movement by the cross bars 26 and the end walls of the crate.

The crates illustrated have a number of cells to hold the bottles in spaced relation. In that form of crate shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the crate is divided into cells by a number of pairs of rods or bars 30 and 3|, the bars 30 extending longitudinally of the crate and the bars 3| extending transversely of the crate, and at their ends having riveted connections with intermediate sections of the end walls I6 and side walls I5, respectively. The pairs of bars 30 and 3| pass through upright octagonal wooden blocks 32 which hold the bars in their proper relation. Each set of bars 30 and 3I are arranged in different horizontal planes. The blocks 32 and bars 30 and may form an assembly before the bars are attached to crate walls. The bars carry a number of cushioning tubes or sleeves 33, preferably of rubber, for abutment with the side walls of the bottles to thereby avoid noise during handling of the crate and the bottles and to prevent damage to the polished outer surfaces of the bottles. The sleeves 33 are confined against longitudinal movement by the blocks 32 and the walls of the crate.

In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 to 9, the crate has side and end walls H5 and H6, respectively. As in the device of Fig. 1, the corners of the crate are joined by angle plates I1 and I8, and the end walls are connected by bottom bars 23 and 24 passing through cross bars 26 and carrying cushioning sleeves 28. The bottle cells are defined by a pair of rectangular lattice frames arranged one above the other and formed by marginal bars I30 and cross bars I3I, preferably of strap metal, united at their junctions, as by riveting or welding, and the frames being connected at some of their interior junctions by vertical struts or bars I32 having their ends riveted to the cross bars. The marginal bars I30 of the lattice frames are disposed in the slots between the wall sections of the crate and carry fiat cushioning sleeves I33, preferably of rubber, each having rounded opposite edges and having a slot I34 through which the supporting bar passes. The sleeves I33 on the marginal bars I30 are confined against longitudinal movement by fitting in notches I35 cut in the adjacent edges of the wall sections, as seen in Figs. '7 and 8. The notches are here shown to be formed in registering pairs, but one notch for each sleeve will obviously be sufficient in many instances. Each. sleeve is preferably wider than the thickness of the crate wall and projects at the inner and outer or other abutments.

sides oi the wall. At their inner edits the cushioning sleeves are engagcable with adjacent bottles in the crate cells, and at their outer edges the sleeves are engageable with adjacent crates mize noise when the crate is handled and when the bottles are dropped into or removed from the crate, and so as to avoid damage to the polished outer surfaces of the bottles.

Whatweclaimasnewanddesiretosecureby Letters Patent is:

1. A bottle crate or the like having side walls with spaced sections at least one oi which has a notch, a bar extending between and along said sections, and a bottle-cushioning element on said bar and confined thereon by said notch.

2. A bottle crate or the like having a cell-forming lattice frame including strap metal cross bars provided with twisted portions, and longitudinally slotted bottle cushioning sleeves fitting on said twisted portions and confined longitudinally by said twisted P rtions.

3.1a bottle crate or 'the like having wall sections, and a non-metallic cushioning element interposed between said sections and having a bottle cushioning portion projecting at the inner faces 01' said sections.

4.Abottle crateorthelikehavingwallsections, and a cushioning element interposed between said sections and projecting at the inner and outer faces 01 said sections to cushion a bottle within the crate and to cushion the outer surface 0! the crate with respect to an adjacent abutment.

5. A bottle crate or the like having a wall with an aperture and a cushioning element in said aperture projecting at the inner and outer iaces 0! said wall to cushion a bottle within the crate and to cushion the outer suriace oi the crate with respect to an adjacent abutment.

6. A bottle crate or the like having a bottleconfining lattice frame including intersecting fiat metal straps twisted to form portions lying in a substantially vertical plane and disposed between the strap intersections, and fiat rubber bottle-cushioning sleeves fitting on said vertical portions oi. the straps and confined longitudinally by the twists in the straps.

7. A bottle crate or the like having bottle-confining metal straps with portions lying in substantially vertical planes, and fiat rubber bottlecushioning sleeves on the vertical portions of said straps, said sleeves having slots therethrough in which said vertical strap portions fit to prevent turning of the sleeves, and said sleeves having substantially fiat opposite walls engageable with the side walls of the bottles.

8. A bottle crate or the like having a wall provided with a slot, a bar extending in and along said slot and secured to the crate, and a nonmetallic cushioning element on said bar projecting from at least one face of said wall.

WILLIAM J. QUIRK. JAMES F. QUIRK. 

